The Bridge

by Solomon Jones

Book Overview

Sometimes, Philadelphia Police Detective Kevin Lynch feels like he has spent his whole life trying to put his past firmly behind him. But a frantic call for help from a childhood friend whose child has gone missing changes all that. Now, Lynch must summon the courage to return to his childhood home, the infamous projects known as The Bridge. As the case unfolds and the search for Kenya, the missing girl, intensifies, the secrets guarded by her family...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031230725X
• ISBN13: 9780312307257
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Personal thoughts

My gosh! I recommend reading this book if you have no distractions or nothing else to do because you will not be able to put it down. My journey through Philly's The Bridge was unreal but so real. The author made you love, hate, and sympathize with each main character. The author brought awareness to abusive in the Black community that is overlooked. This book was recommended, and I loved every second of my "time in Philadelphia" as each character brought their own view of the Bridge.

Secrets kill and sometimes the truth hurts as much.

In his debut book Pipe Dream, we met several characters that believed their dream of change dissipated in a cloud of smoke, now Solomon Jones has done it again. The Bridge is filled with relationships, drugs and many clouds of secrets; that could certainly change lives once they are revealed.Merriam-Webster defines a bridge as a time, place, or means of connection or transition. Mr. Jones definition of The Bridge is the dilapidated, drug-infested projects housed in Philly. In both instances, each defines a means of transition and hope of getting from point A to point B. Nine year old Kenya Brown disappeared from the projects where she lived with her Aunt Judy and Sonny her Aunts boyfriend. Detective Lynch received a frantic call from Kenyas mom asking him to help her find her baby. Lynch has his own demons about going back to the Bridge. Faced with a promise to care for Kenya Lynch puts aside his personal feelings about The Bridge. Every character in this book has a reason to want this child dead. As the list of suspects, continue to grow so does the suspense. The Bridge is an explosive tale of hope, tough love, abusive love and desperate love. Its about the relationships we want to believe do not exist or only exist in the ghetto. This avid reader and reviewer cannot praise this book enough. Excellent job Mr. Jones!Missy

Cross "THE BRIDGE" into the world of Solomon Jones

For anyone who has ever grown up in the inner city this is the book for you. Mr. Jones developes characters in the book that you want to connect with. Characters whose life story you want to believe. The story grabs you and pulls you to read on and on. You just do not get tired of this book. The bridge for me was a story of hope. Mr. Jones makes you hope for the people in the book. He makes you believe that things can and will get better for the chacters. That the story of the Bridge and those stories of the chacrters individual lives will all end happily. He easily blends this theme of hope with the reality of life in a way that is just too real. The ending of the book is the completion of an emotional ride that leaves you tired. Bravo Mr. Jones!!! I hope that you continue to write books as well and better then your first two projects.

Strong Second Effort

Solomon Jones introduced us to the streets of Philadelphia in his first novel, Pipe Dream. In his fast-paced second novel, The Bridge, he introduces us to the people. The mystery revolves around the disappearance of a child, but the story is about much more than that. The Bridge is about relationships. A long-buried love interest between the married Detective Lynch and the drug-addled Daneen reemerges. A disastrous affair has all but destroyed the lives of two other characters. A twisted love connection drives the actions of two more. And in the midst of the drama, an investigation reveals the shameful secrets behind it all. Jones spins a great story while addressing issues of love, betrayal and revenge. All told, The Bridge, Jones's strong second effort, is even better than his first novel, Pipe Dream.

Gripping Realities of Street Life

Detective Kevin Lynch is an up-and-coming star in the Philadelphia police department whose success has him headed toward a life of affluence. But a call from a friend whose child is missing brings Lynch back to "The Bridge," the rough and tumble housing project where he grew up. There, Lynch is forced not only to search for Kenya, the missing child. He has to deal with childhood memories, his own identity, and an old flame that threatens to destroy his already shaky marriage. "The Bridge," a fast-paced mystery filled with non-stop action, heart-stopping chases, and even a few hot love scenes, is a complex exploration of a society that many of us never see. In "The Bridge," Jones gives us black women who are determined, proud, and strong. And along the way, he also manages to convey the humanity of murderers, drug addicts, and crack dealers. With vivid prose that captures the complex atmosphere of the projects, Jones outlines the hopes and dreams of a cast you won't soon forget.

strong condemnation of a ?compassionate? America

In a run down Philadelphia project THE BRIDGE, nine-year-old Kenya Brown disappears. Assigned to the case is African-American detectives Kevin Lynch and Roxanne Wilson. Kevin comes from these projects and knows Kenya's guardian is his childhood friend crack dealer Aunt Judy.The evidence points towards Judy's lover and business partner Sonny Williams who is an alleged child abuser and has conveniently vanished too. The cops feel if they find Sonny, they will find Kenya, hopefully alive and not violated. However, Sonny is a pro in evading the law something he learned as a drug dealer. The two police detectives know that each minute that passes most likely means bad things have happened to Kenya.Though the investigation and subsequent police search is fun, this tale has a deeper message about an abundant society ignoring abject poverty and its consequences. Readers will taste the despondency of the ghettos whose basic outputs are violence and other undesirable behavior. The heroes are those select few trying to make a better life outside the hood for their children. This is a strong condemnation of a "compassionate" America written within a solid police procedural.Harriet Klausner